Coursework

I have decided to take a university Biology course. I don't really have the academic background, but I am not too worried about that.

I completed Chemistry 30 (Grade 12 level) in high school, barely - I squeaked by with 49%. Doing some homework would probably have helped me. I did quite well in a Biology 10 (Grade 10 level), but I took it for extra credit and didn't bother to take any higher level course. I got impatient with school and with memorizing facts. I also found laboratory environments intimidating and overwhelming, and my lack of visual and procedural memory made the experience especially difficult.

In University, I needed 3 credits of science, so with a little digging I found a Plant Science course with no required textbooks, no lab requirement, and no prerequisite.

But I have always been interested in science. I read almost entirely science books and magazines (with some social sciences thrown in), and I have a strong desire to take some University coursework in science.

I don't have any special reason to take the courses, except that... my job is getting really, really boring. I have gotten just good enough at the job that I am becoming restless. I have never stayed at a job longer than 2 years, and it will be 2 years at this job on March 1. I am seeking out and finding strategies to keep my mind active so that I have an outside focus.

If I left my job, I would likely take a massive pay cut as we are sort of overpaid for the call centre industry. Also, any other place would not have the great Team Leaders and coworkers I met and became friends with. In many ways, I have never been so happy at a job, in terms of environment.

But content-wise, the job is brutal. I deal with angry/bitter/sad/stressed/broke people for a significant part of every day. And there is a lot of pressure to keep my performance within certain statistical boundaries in terms of calls per hour, adherence to schedule, etc.... while also giving very well-informed and positive service to every caller.

So I need to stay in the job, but also distract myself. I will be taking Biology as a prerequisite to more interesting courses, and I tentatively decided to head straight for the University level course through a distance learning centre instead of completing the high school level first. Most of the subject matter at that level is composed of content that I familiar with through my own self-directed reading. Plus, if I fail the course... It doesn't matter. I have no plans for accomplishing anything specific.

It is a little expensive to take a class, but my income would drop significantly if I quit my job, so the course is is a sort of investment! It looks like my work contract will be extended to March 31, 2011 most likely, so I have some breathing space.